


Letters

by narvaeztrash



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Fluff, Kings AU, M/M, Prince!Gavin, Prince!Jeremy, Yuletide, dan is just here to be a Friend he’s not a massive part of the story, it’s just soft all the way through
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 07:53:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17137913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narvaeztrash/pseuds/narvaeztrash
Summary: secret santa gift for the lovely alex! hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful christmas- rayray x





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OnePhoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnePhoenix/gifts).



Two weeks had passed since Jeremy had left. It felt like a year, in Gavin’s opinion. The castle was far too quiet without the smaller prince around, and the lack of people gave the whole castle a feeling of emptiness. Life had returned to normal now there were no guests, and the monotony of his daily duties was unbearable. 

Maybe his feelings for Jeremy ran deeper than friendship, although Gavin tried hard to squash those thoughts. The other prince had shown no interest in romance - they hadn’t even discussed relationships once during the three weeks he’d been visiting - and he wasn’t about to spoil a perfectly good friendship with feelings that might not even be real. 

He’d promised to write, and Gavin hoped he’d keep that promise. Maybe if he took too long Gavin would write first; it would be a long time until he saw Jeremy again, after all, and he wouldn’t want to lose such a strong friendship just because they didn’t see each other often. 

Royal life was lonely, really, because the list of people it was acceptable for Gavin to associate himself with was so meagre. Commoners were completely off limits, and conversations with castle staff should be kept to a minimum aside from orders, he had been taught. That made for a relatively solitary lifestyle - the only time he really had anyone to talk to was when others visited the castle. Those were the best times. The castle was filled with life, and there was always somebody to talk to. 

He did have friends, though, and he couldn’t complain about them. His best friend, Daniel, was the Captain of the Royal Guard. They’d been friends since childhood, Dan being born to a noblewoman who happened to be one of his mother’s close friends. For years, Dan had been Gavin’s only real friend within the castle, back when he was too young to attend events. He was the only person he could talk to without fear of saying something wrong and spend his time enjoyably with. Without Dan, the loneliness would be unbearable. 

His other friends were more acquaintances, really, that he’d grown to know over the years at royal dinners and parties. Most of them had snagged invites because of their connections to various royal families, but Gavin didn’t really care too much for most of them. Although he exuded confidence and charisma in public, he kept a tight group of friends. 

It wouldn’t be long before Gavin’s family had another set of guests, but even so Jeremy seemed to stick with him in a way he couldn’t really explain. The small prince was fascinating - he’d found himself completely enthralled by every story Jeremy had to tell, regardless of the content. He was the companion Gavin had been yearning for, and his absence seemed to leave a void in his life.

“A letter was left for you this morning, Your Highness,” a servant’s voice chimed, snapping Gavin out of his thoughts. 

“There was?” he asked, turning around the face the servant. A young man stood there, nodding. 

“Indeed. Would you like me to bring it to you?”

“Yes...thank you.” Gavin responded distractedly, his mind racing. Could this be the letter Jeremy had promised to write? He mustn’t get too hopeful - for all he knew, it could be something far less interesting. It wasn’t unusual for dignitaries and other noblemen to write to him, especially when they had something they wanted.

The servant bowed his head and left, shutting the door softly behind him. Gavin let out a long sigh, throwing himself down onto the rich velvet cushions piled high upon his bed. He was overthinking this whole situation far too much. 

He laid there for a good while longer, until he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor, prompting him to sit back up. As the sound of knocking filled the room, he finished straightening his clothing and got to his feet. “Come in,” he called out.

“The letter, Your Highness,” the same servant shuffled in, holding the letter out to the prince. 

Gavin smiled appreciatively, nodding his dismissal. “Thank you.” 

As soon as he heard the door click shut, the envelope was torn open. He’d had long enough to identify some kind of royal seal - not one he was familiar with, though, which made him hopeful - and the paper was the thick, expensive kind saved only for the top of society. This letter had to be from someone of importance.

_Dear Gavin,_

_I hope this letter was not too delayed - I have heard snow is affecting some kingdoms rather badly, and should my letter have travelled through one of them, I would imagine it is rather delayed. Nonethless, I had to keep my promise - it would be rather unfair of me to let you down now. Ever since I returned home it has been rather lonely without you, and I look forward to seeing you again for Yuletide. Personally, I think my visit to your kingdom has been my most enjoyable one so far._

The letter went on much further - almost two full sheets of paper, Gavin noted - reminiscing on the times they had spent together as well as small anecdotes of his own. He could feel his heart pounding as he read it, re-read it, and traced his fingers over the ink of the letter. This was what he had been longing for, even though Jeremy probably had no idea.

Before he even realised what he was doing, Gavin was sat at his desk, pen in hand. He rested his pen on the rim of his small pot of ink, thinking intently about the best way to respond. There were a number of different approaches he could take - formal, informal, flirty, comedic: his choices were practically endless. Jeremy had seemed somewhat formal in his manner, although the anecdotes and jokes littered throughout gave it a friendly feel. Maybe emulating that style was his best idea.

It took him surprisingly less time to compose his letter than he had first expected. Once he had begun, the words flowed out with ease, and Gavin had soon filled two sheets of paper. His feelings for Jeremy were much stronger than he’d first realised. Sitting back with a satisfied sigh, he began to read back over his work. It had to be _perfect_.

“Gavin, your father wishes to speak with you. He awaits you in the throne room.” Dan’s voice announced, causing Gavin to whip around and face his friend at the familiar sound. 

“Dan!” he exclaimed, happiness filling his eyes. “How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you doing?” Dan replied, raising an eyebrow as he eyed Gavin’s desk. “Finally catching up on your correspondence?”

Gavin shook his head, laughing quietly. “You wish. I was actually writing to a friend of mine, if you must know,” he retorted, smirking slightly. “I’m sure you’ll remember him.”

“And who may that be?” 

“Prince Jeremy. He stayed for a few weeks. Surely you remember him?” Gavin answered, smiling brightly. The excitement in Gavin’s eyes was genuine - clearly, this prince meant a lot to him.

Dan nodded, snapping his fingers. “He was that really short one, right? I remember him. He seemed like a good guy.”

“Oh, he’s lovely, Dan. I’m sure you’d love him too if you got chance to speak with him properly.” Gavin sighed, resting his head in his palm.

“We both know that’s not my place,” Dan sighed. shaking his head. “Anyway, you need to go see your father. You know he hates it when you keep him waiting.”

“That’s true. Later, my darling Daniel,” Gavin teased, winking to his friend as he promptly left the room and set off down the corridor towards his father’s throne room.

Gavin wasn’t nervous to see his father, not at all - even though normally, if he was called to the throne room, it was to explain himself for some trouble he’d caused. His father was a kind man, and in some ways Gavin used that kindness to his advantage by escaping punishments and talking his father out of anger. Besides, he couldn’t think of anything bad he’d done recently. 

“Father, you asked for me?” he called, his voice echoing in the cavernous room he’d entered. The room was decorated with deep emerald green velvets and shining golds, with the centrepiece being the ornate golden throne Gavin’s father sat upon. It was truly a majestic sight, and even now after years of living here, Gavin could still appreciate the grandeur he lived within. 

“I did. I have some new for you, Gavin, and I think you will like it.” his father answered, standing and stepping down the beautifully carved stairs leading up to his throne. “I have had a request from some friends of ours to join us this Yuletide.” 

Gavin’s ears pricked up at that. His family were known for their immense Yuletide celebrations, including a ball that only the top of nobility were invited to. “And who may that be?” he asked, trying and failing to keep the excitement out of his voice.

“Jeremy and his family will be joining us for the Yuletide season this year.”


	2. ii

Yuletide preparations were taken very seriously in Gavin’s kingdom. Even the townspeople decorated religious, hanging wreaths and twinkling lights everywhere they could. The castle was the most splendidly decorated, always - the servants would begin preparing for the celebrations weeks in advance. 

It was one of Gavin’s favourite times of year. The city looked so beautiful with all the lights and decorations - every now and again, he would disguise and head into the town, often to visit the marketplace with Dan. His own home was wonderful, too - his family spared no expense with elaborate decorations. The pressure to impress at Yuletide Ball was on every year - this was the seasonal event talked about throughout the land. All the preparations meant constant liveliness throughout the castle, with servants bustling around constantly. There was a lot to prepare and little time. 

Gavin was proud to say he did help a little, though. If he came across a group of servants putting up lights or decorating wreaths and trees, he would offer his help - much to their gratitude, usually. Besides, it didn’t feel like work - it was far too much fun to call it that.

He was nervous to impress Jeremy and his family, however. Over the two months or so since they had parted, his feelings for the smaller prince hadn’t died down at all. If anything, they’d grown stronger - the excitement to see his friend had been bubbling up for months.

They’d kept in contact, writing each other letters whenever they had chance. Gavin kept every single one, locked in one of his desk drawers. Jeremy’s letters were so important to him - whenever another one arrived, he couldn’t help the flutter of his heart as he broke the seal on the 

“I think Jeremy just arrived,” Dan chimed, his voice cutting through Gavin’s thoughts. They’d been out walking for last half hour or so, even though Gavin had whined it was far too cold to be outside. 

“H-He has?” Gavin stuttered, the excitement clear in his voice. His pulled his cloak tighter around himself, suppressing a shiver. 

Dan nodded, looking out over the grounds towards the castle’s entrance. “I heard a carriage arrive earlier. We’re not expecting any other guests for a few days.” 

“And you didn’t think to go and check?” he exclaimed, shaking his head. 

Dan laughed, raising an eyebrow. “I thought it best to get you out of the castle instead. If I’d have told you, they wouldn’t have even been able to get into the castle before you started harassing them.” he teased.

“That’s not true!” Gavin protested weakly, pouting up at his friend.

“It is and you know it,” Dan retorted. “Besides, it’s far too lovely out here not to admire the scenery.”

“Visually lovely. The weather bloody isn’t,” the prince grumbled, rubbing his forearms. “But the frost does make everything look so lovely, I suppose. 

Dan shook his head, quietly laughing at his best friend’s antics. “We can head back if you like now. I’m sure they’ve had enough to time to get into the castle and get settled.” he offered, laughing again at the excitement that shone in Gavin’s eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Of course it’s a yes!” the blond exclaimed, grabbing Dan’s hand and practically dragging his friend back towards the castle. “It feels like I’ve been waiting for this day forever!”

They made it back to the castle in record time, with Gavin bursting into the courtyard and almost crashing into several servants who were unfortunate enough to cross his path. “Where do you think he’ll be?” he called over his shoulder to Dan, who had stopped running as soon as they’d reached the courtyard. He couldn’t get away with half of the things Gavin could, and he wasn’t about to push his luck.

“Most likely with your father. Formalities first,” Dan suggested, finally catching up to the prince. 

“You’re right. Maybe we should hover outside the throne room?” Gavin questioned hopefully, tilting his head to one side.

“Do whatever you like, Gav. I’ve got a patrol to deal with soon, so this is where I have to leave you.” Dan resounded, smiling warmly at his best friend. “Just don’t get too overenthusiastic.”

“Me? Overenthusiastic? I don’t know what you could possibly mean.” Gavin laughed, shaking his head. 

Before long, he was stood at the entrance to the throne room. The sound of voices and laughter were faintly audible, and that gave Gavin the confidence to push the door open and enter. 

“Ah, Gavin, good to see you,” his father called out, immediately spotting his son. “You’re just in time. Our guests arrived not long ago.” he explained, gesturing to the group of people clustered around him.

“Daniel mentioned their arrival. It is an honour to see you again,” Gavin replied, smiling especially brightly at Jeremy. The other prince returned his smile, Gavin’s heart skipping a beat as he did so.

“It’s been a while. I missed you,” Jeremy murmured, shifting to stand face-to-face with Gavin. The blond could barely restrain his joy. 

“I missed you too, Jeremy,” he replied earnestly, his face lighting up. “I’m so glad you could stay with us again.”

“As am I. My parents are fond of yours, so it made sense to come stay for Yuletide,” Jeremy replied, the same excitement Gavin felt reflected in his dark eyes. 

Gavin let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. If he could, he’d kiss Jeremy right now. But he couldn’t, not only because of the amount of people surrounding them, but also the fact he had no clue whether or not Jeremy felt the same way. Unlikely, really. He probably wasn’t even interested in men. 

“Gavin? Are you okay?” Jeremy asked, snapping Gavin back into the moment.

“Huh? O-Oh, yeah, sorry, I’m fine,” he laughed, blinking a few times. “I was just daydreaming.”

Jeremy smiled warmly, “It’s fine. Anyway, you fancy showing me round. It’s been a while since I’ve been here - don’t think I’ll be able to find my way around.”

It was an obvious excuse to get away from the formality of the situation, and Gavin was happy to oblige. Offering Jeremy his hand, his nodded and made to exit. The feeling of Jeremy closing his own hand around Gavin’s filled him with excitement, his heart fluttering at the slight contact. He really needed to get himself together around the other man.

Once they were a few feet away, Jeremy let out a long sigh of relief. “You know, seeing your parents again was great, but I can’t stand formalities.” he laughed. “Which probably isn’t a great trait, considering I’m a prince.”

Gavin laughed, nodding in agreement. “I know! This is why I tend to avoid meeting too many of the dignitaries my dad brings in. I can’t be so serious for that long.” he added. “This is why I’m glad you’re here.”

Jeremy smiled at that comment, the slightest hint of a flush on his cheeks. “I-I’m glad you’re happy to have me,” he stammered, staring down at his feet. “I really did miss you, Gavin, you know. There’s...there’s nobody like you back home.”

There were a few moments of silence after that - mostly because Gavin spent them trying to get his heartbeat under control. Not only was Jeremy somehow so open and vulnerable around Gavin, the way he spoke almost made it sound like he could, in fact, reciprocate Gavin’s feelings. “I missed you too. I’ve never really had a friend like you before, not another prince. Most of them are too busy to keep in contact.” he replied finally, glancing across at the smaller prince.

“Really? I-I like talking to you. You’re funny.” Jeremy responded, smiling pathetically. “Your letters always make me smile.”

“Yours do too,” Gavin laughed. “A lot goes on in your kingdom.”

“Mostly because we haven’t been in power long. People are still getting used to new monarchs,” he answered, a soft sigh escaping. “Sometimes I’m not sure if everyone’s actually that keen on us.”

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t be. You’re lovely, and so are your parents. I know I’d happily live under your rule,” Gavin frowned. 

Jeremy shook his head. “It doesn’t matter right now. We’re supposed to be here to have a nice time, aren’t we?”

“Yeah,” he replied, nodding slowly. “We are. And I’ll be damned if you don’t!” Gavin laughed, squeezing Jeremy’s hand affectionately. “You should come and see the grounds. All the frost and ice makes it look so beautiful.”

“Gladly,” Jeremy responded, letting Gavin lead him towards the courtyard once again. “You have so much open land here. I wish our kingdom had more fields like this,” he sighed, gesturing across the wide expanse of field, leading into distant forests. 

“It’s pretty, but I know the land we have takes a lot of maintenance,” Gavin admitted. “There are are plenty of servants hired purely to look after the grounds.” 

“Doesn’t sound like a bad job to me,” Jeremy replied, watching his breath puff out in little clouds of steam as he spoke. “Maybe a little cold.”

The blond laughed, nodding. “I said that earlier. It’s way too cold to be out here for long at all, but it’s too pretty not to come and look.”

Most of the fields were flat, with the occasional tree to break it up. The land gently sloped downhill further along, and just out of sight ran a long, winding river, leading into the forests beyond. Occasionally, deer would emerge from the forest to drink, but they didn’t hang around long. Gavin had only ever seen them a few times, and only at a distance. In summer, the fields would be filled with brightly coloured flowers and various plants, kept neatly by the array of gardeners and landscape architects his father hired. 

“The royal gardens are on the other side of the castle,” Gavin added, gesturing to the west. “My mother oversees those, and in spring they’re really gorgeous.” 

“I’d imagine right now most of the flowers are dead, though,” Jeremy pointed out. “But I’m sure it’s lovely!” he added hurriedly, realising how rude his first statement had seemed.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t offend me,” Gavin laughed. Jeremy’s embarrassment was adorable - his face flushed a deep pink as he spluttered to find the right words to apologise, biting his lip. “You’re not wrong. Everything in there is more or less dead, aside from the evergreens. That’s why I brought you out here. It’s much nicer.” 

Jeremy smiled appreciatively, nodding before turning to face Gavin properly. He stopped suddenly, eyes wide as the smaller prince refused to drop eye contact with him. 

“Gavin, I need to tell you something. I can’t stay here without saying something to you,” he murmured, his voice low.

“W-What is?” Gavin asked, his heart pounding in his chest. The look in Jeremy’s eyes was intense - whatever he had to say was important.

“I-I need to tell you that I love you. A lot. All this time...I wanted to tell you it in a letter for a while, but I...I didn’t think it was the right way to do it. And I didn’t know how to say it, and…” he trailed off, his eyes now fixed upon the grass. “I understand if you don’t feel the same, I just...I needed to tell you.”

Gavin was silent for a few moments, his brain barely capable of processing the words he’d dreamed of Jeremy saying. _Was this really happening?_ he questioned internally, his eyes still trained on Jeremy. It had to be. 

“No, Jeremy, don’t worry. I feel the same way about you.” Gavin replied softly, gently placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I just didn’t think you’d be interested in me.” 

“Surprise,” Jeremy laughed weakly, finally managing to raise his eyes enough to look at Gavin. “Seriously though, Gavin, I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t like you.” 

Gavin felt his cheeks heat up at those words, turning his face away slightly in an attempt to hide the dark flush that was gradually spreading across his face. “You’re too kind,” he mumbled, shaking his head before meeting Jeremy’s eyes again. There was a split second moment of hesitation before he leaned down and gently pressed his lips against Jeremy’s. The prince kissed back in seconds, wrapping his arms around Gavin’s shoulders. 

“Happy Yuletide, Jeremy,” Gavin whispered, and he couldn’t help thinking that somehow, he’d gotten the best present of all.


End file.
